11 Teaching, learning, getting closer

Over the next few months, Xin learned and grew in her skills. She developed her own ways of doing things, but still deferred to me when it came to the wolves and the wild dogs. There was a large pack somewhere and we were on their territory,  hunting was becoming a bit more tricky and we needed to move on.

Nights were no longer as safe as they had been and the alpha male was not interested in my calls telling him to stay away. He called back in defiance. It was either going to be a stand off or we needed to concede and get out of their domain.

"Gather your stuff Xin, we've got to move! Now!" I sensed the alpha was close and watching our every move. "No, leave all that," I gestured to the rabbits we'd caught that day, "just gather your stuff, don't look anywhere but the ground and start to walk slowly toward me."

She did as she was told and on reaching me I smelt her fear. "Think of nice things, think of playing in the pond back there. Think of the fun we had playing in the water......" My voice trailed off as I saw my first sight of the alpha as he began walking slowly toward us.

"Do me a favour and walk in front of me, when I tell you, get up a tree as fast as you can. Start looking now, find one you can get up easily with your belongings over your shoulder." I placed my hand on her arm, "it's OK as long as you do exactly as I say. This is our first encounter together. Its not my first, I have had many an argument with an alpha over the years."

I checked surreptitiously over my shoulder. His eyes met mine. Bad move.

I looked ahead and a perfect tree lurched into sight, "get up that ash tree, Now!"

With that, Xin ran and jumped up the tree as fast as she could. 

At the same time, I had my knife out, my bundle on the floor and I turned to face him.

He was big and his teeth were bared. He had many scars on him; this was a seasoned alpha.

I took a dominant pose and growled. 

I stared straight into his eyes without a flinch. 

I had no fear. 

I was in the moment, deep in the dance of preditor against preditor. Nature's dance of death and survival. It would begin  suddenly as one sensed a weakness in the other. The alpha's hackles were up, he had lowered his head ready for attack, eyes on my every gesture. I did not back down. I mimicked his stance by widening my stance, lowering my centre of gravity and holding my knife ready to slash when the opportunity presented itself.

He tried to circle me but with every move he made, I countered. I knew I had to take the lead at some point but it would come in the fullness of time.

I sensed a stifled scream in Xin's throat.

"Don't you dare Xin! You stay as silent as the grave and do nothing unless I tell you otherwise!" I growled. 

The alpha could hear my menace and he acknowledged it. 

"If I tell you to shake a branch do just that, no more. It will distract him momentarily. BUT DO NOT GET DOWN" The words were said as if I was growling at the alpha, not for one second did my attention waver from him. 

The alpha started to come closer snapping at me, but with every move forward he made, I made an equal one toward him, slashing out with the knife. It was sharp and I knew it would cut the delicate skin on his face. Again he lunged forwards and again I mirrored him, lunging forward and as I growled, I created slashes across his face and jowls. For every bite he took at me he got three slashess back. He may have strong jaws and a powerful bite but they were superficial, no bones were crushed. My knife however, was drawing blood with every strike.

He tasted his own blood and became more agressive, lunging forward but this time to bite harder, deeper. The blood clouded his eyes and his aim was more erratic.

I felt a tearing sensation in my left arm and instinctively brought the knife round, slashing at his ear and throat.  My arm felt hot and wet.  It had also lost strength. He'd caught something and I was bleeding out. He was hurt too and he shook his head to clear blood from his eyes. He locked eyes with me again, he was ready to fight to the death and there was no going back now.

I turned the direction of the fight so the fire was behind me and falling back as he advanced, I came closer to the fire pit itself. 

Now I had sway. 

Without taking my eyes off his, I reached down and grasped the long stick sitting in the base of the fire. Gently pulling it out with my left hand I now had defence and attack.

Normally, the sight if fire would back them off, but the alpha was badly injured and had entered the red zone.

Kill or be killed.

He lunged a full attack; I'd grabbed the stick just in time. Slipping sideways, I twisted and as his jaws missed my side I sunk the knife into his and ripped it through. He screamed and facing me, I held the fire stick forward of my body. I had no idea whose blood was whose but we both were creating pools of it. 

I wanted it to end, " Shake the branch Xin, Now!"

Alpha heard the noise, took his eye off me for a second and I lunged forwards pushing him and stabbing him in his heart. He bit into me, trying to rip my arm again, but I pushed the fire stick into his face and then I stabbed him again and again until his jaws relaxed and he fell to the floor. 

My arm was a mess but it was still attached.

It was over.

I flexed my fingers. Yes, they still worked but I needed stitching again, "I'm right handed thank goodness," I chuckled to myself.

Somewhere, there was an Alpha female and her pups no longer protected. She would be fighting for their lives tonight.

I howled into the sky, proclaiming my Alpha position. I howled again and the pack answered. There would be no more trouble from them.

I dragged the alpha's body to the edge of the clearing so they could smell the kill.

"You can come down now its OK, you're safe."